Man who raised $84k for Manchester's homeless hero 'wishes he hadn't'
A man who raised over £50,000 ($AU 84661) for a homeless man who helped the victims of the Manchester terror attack said he wishes he never did it.
Michael Johns had initially started a crowdfunding page to raise £1,000 ($AU 1693) for Chris Parker.
Mr Parker went viral after the terror attack for his efforts in helping the injured when a bomb was dentonated at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena.
He was hailed a hero when it was reported he pulled nails out of children's faces.
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Since the campaign launched, Mr Johns has managed to raise thousands for Mr Parker, but he said it hasn't come without stress.
Mr Johns claimed he has received online abuse and extreme stress from dealing with a large amount of money, according to the BBC.
"If I could go back, if I could envisage the problems and stress it would cause, I would have avoided it," he said.
He said he has experienced feelings of regret "multiple, multiple times".
Mr Johns said he hoped the campaign would "go some way to helping Chris off the streets and also show our gratitude for his actions".
But he said the fundraiser became far more complicated than he anticipated.
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"It has gone from being a fairly straightforward case of just handing over a relatively small amount to having an amount that is potentially life-changing," he said.
Mr Johns initially struggled to locate Mr Parker.
When Marissa Lowe bumped into Mr Parker and discovered he was still without a home or money, angry donors began demanding refunds.
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However, the pair tracked each other down and were able to meet.
Mr Johns organised for the money to be put into a trust with five trustees: donors, a solicitor, an accountant, a homelessness outreach worker and a homelessness support professional.
He also negotiated with the crowdfunding website to release a small amount of the money so Chris' "needs could be met in the meantime".
Mr Johns says Mr Parker is a "vulnerable person" and while he has had offers of help from a number of organisations, he is "actively not engaging with that support".
"I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place but I’m trying my hardest to plough on with this in the correct direction," he wrote online.
